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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1..

G. BROWNING;

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 254,107. l

-Pannellized Feb. 28.1882.

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C. B'ROWNING.

(No Model.)

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 258,107. Patented Peb. 28,1882.

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- UNITED ASTATES VPATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON BROWN ING, OF ALLEGI-IENY CITY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORKOF THREE-EIGrHTHS TO LINDSAY 85 MCCUTCHEON, OF SAME PLACE. I

CARF-COUPLING.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,107, dated February 28, 1882.

Application filed October 10, 1881.

jawed draw-heads provided with shouldered` laterally-swinging and interlocking levers, the draw-heads being constructed in such manner that while one of the jaws of the respective heads enters between the respective pairs of I jaws, the jaws which do not enter extend along and clasp the outer sides of the jaws which do enter, and thereby prevent a casual lateral separationof the heads while the cars are turning curves, or under other circumstances, and the interlocking levers also being so constructed that they stand diagonal to the central line of draft, and their interlocking shoulders are at right angles, or nearly so, to

z 5 the said, diagonal line of the levers, and thus the strain upon the levers while the train is running is thrown in line with the pivot-sof the levers and taken entirely off the springs, which are only used to throw the levers into their locking positions and to keep the jaws coupled when the cars are not running, or when there is slack between the draw-heads, and besides this the jaws and levers are so formed that the draw-heads are allowed movements such as are secured by a knucklejoint connection without being held against suffi-- cient longitudinal movement when the cars are suddenly stopped or subjected to a back action; second, in the interlocking levers provided with shoulders which are continued from the top to the bottom of the draw-heads, in combination with the bifurcated or doublejawed draw-heads provided with depressions, one on the inner side of one jaw of each head, 45 for the reception of the said continuation of the shoulders of the levers while the levers are being moved aside by the jaws lin act of automatically coupling the cars; third, in the combination of hand-levers and locking-bars,

, 5o springs, connectingfrods, shouldered interlock- (No model.)

ing "levers, and bifurcated or doublejawed draw-heads, whereby thel drawheads can be uncoupled from the platform, the interlocking levers can be automatically moved in position for automatically recoupling the draw-heads, and when the draw-heads are coupled and under strain the springs will be relieved of such strain and the strain be thrown upon the pivots of the interlocking levers; fourth, in having the respective draw-heads united to theiro spring draw-bars by means of a vertical pivot, whereby the'draw-heads will move longitudinally with the draw-barsand at the same time have freedom-to swing horizontally in turning curves; fifth, in providing the hinging-eyes of 6 5 the shouldered levers and jaws ofthe drawhead with rounded-off edges or corners, for the purpose of preventing the joints formed by these eyes being cramped by metal upset or displaced bythe act of jamming the jaws 7o against one another to couple the cars; sixth, in draw-heads provided with interlocking levers which operate in a peculiar manner with respect to the line of draft of the cars.

In the accompanying drawings, which are intended to illustrate my invention, Figure lis a side elevation, showing my invention as applied upon supports answering, by way of illustration, to such as are usually applied upon rail. road-cars. In this view twol draw-heads are 8o shown as coupled. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one of the draw-heads, its ad juncts and supports answering, byway of illustration, to such as are provided on a car. Fig. 3 is a vertical section and partial elevation of one of the drawheads, spring draw-bars, interlocking levers, and supports of the draw head and bar. Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. l, the end beam, locking-bar, and rail of one of the cars being removed and the same represented as in their po- 9o sitions by dotted lines. In this view the parts are adjusted to their uncoupling position and the draw-heads are shown as uncoupled. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the interlocking levers in their couplingv position, but uncoupled. 9 5 Fig. 6 shows the same as- Fig. 5, except that the jaws are coupled. Fig. 7 is a detailed plan view of the draw-head, and Fig. S is a detail horizontal section of the interlocking lever.

A is the front cross-beam of the platform of roo a car-frame, B; O G', the end rails of the platform; D D', the sliding draw-bars, provided as usual with springs a, which serve to relieve the draw-heads Il H' when bumping against each other. In the end rail C of each of the earplatforms a long slot, b, is provided, having a locking-shoulder, c, and-down through this slot a hand-lever, E, is passed, and after being pivoted at d to the front beam, A, is connected by its lower end to alaterally-moving rod, F, which is guided by a bracket, G, of the car-frame. This rod F has a head, c, with twojaws, e c', attached toitsinnerend, and between this head and the vertical portionfof the bracket G a spiral spring, F', is placed around the rod. The. jaws ofthe rod loosely clasp the draw-head II, and they are perforated to receive a pivot, g, which connects thc rod with the interlocking lever I of the draw-head, said lever being connected by a pivot, h., to the front end of one of the jaws ot the draw-head. Both drawheads II H', levers I l', and their adjuncts are constructed precisely alike; butthe jaw H, carrying the interlocking lever I, stands on the right side ofthe center line of' draft on one car and on the left side of said line on the other car; :and the slotted locking-bar ofthe rail, the lever, and the rod and spring for operating the interlockinglever I ofone car stand on the righthand side ot' said line, while the interlockinglever I', and parts for operating it, of the other ca r stand on the lef t-hand side of the said line.

The draw-heads H Il' are loosely jointed to the spring draw-bars D D by means of suitable fitting and vertical pivots, i, and they can swing on said pivots while the cars are turning curves. At their front ends the draw-bars are bifurcatedor formed with two jaws, L k'. These jaws extend forward from a solid body portion of the draw-head, and at their rear end they are united on their inner sides by a semicircle, or nearly a semicircle, and from this circle they inclose a gradually-widened oblong space, which on one side is bounded byacurved extension of the jaw k in form of a cyma reversa, and on the opposite side by a very obtuse angled extension of the jaw k', as shown in Fig. l of the drawings. The exterior surfaces of the respective jaws partake very closely of the form of the interior surfaces thereof. In the jaw k a depression or recess, l, having a beveled surface, l', is formed, as shown, for a purpose presently described. At the extreme front end of the jaw knearly circular hinging ears or lugs m are formed, a space, m2, being between the same, and onelug being at the top and the other at the bottom of the jaw.

The interlocking lever I is bifurcated at its front and rear ends, and it is formed with a right-angled shoulder, u, between its bifurcated ends, as shown. This lever fits under and on top of the drawhead H, and its front ends are perforated to coincide with the holes in the front hinging ends of the draw-head, and through these perforated ends of the hin gingears of the draw-head the hinge pivot or pin h is passed for the purpose of hinging the lever to the draw-head. The shouldered portion a ot' the lever is curved or beveled at n on its rear side, and is otherwise so shaped thatitenters the recess l, and its front surface stands flush with the inner surface ot' thejaw 7c' when the lever I is moved sidewise, as illustrated inthe drawings, Fig. 4; but it extends out between the jaws some distance from the inner face of the jaw k' when either the lever I or I' is allowed to assumea coupling position,as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. By having the levers I I' bifurcated and formed with a long shoulder, n, extending from top to bottom of the drawhead great strength for sustaining the pullingstrain of the cars is secured.

In order to prevent cramping ol' the joint formed between the draw-heads and the interlocking levers by the upsetting ot' the metal when the draw-heads jam together, the corners por" the hinging ears or lugs are rounded oil", as shown in the drawings. The pivots of the shouldered interlocking levers are set on oppo site sides of the central line of draft, and by this arrangement the right-angular interlocking shoulders are caused by the action of their springs to stand diagonal to this line when the draw-heads are coupled and the pull or stra-in comes diagonal to said line of draft, and is thrown directly and wholly upon the pivots of the levers; and by this action of the levers the springs are relieved of thepulling-strain of the cars, and they are therefore not depended upon for holding the draw-heads in their coupled position. The sprin gs, however, act to prevent a separation of the draw-heads when there'is slack motion oraback action ot' the draw-heads.

To couple cars with my improved coupling the levers E are set free from thelockin g-shoulders c of the railG',and the springs F' allowed to move the shouldered interlocking levers to the position shown in Fig. 5. Now, `by bumping the draw-heads together, the hinged lever of one draw-head will strike against the hinged lever of the other, and a mutual lateral displacement of the levers will take place until the shouldered portions of the levers coincide, when the shouldered part of one will be caused to interlock with the shouldered part of the other by the spiral springs F'.

To uncouple the draw-heads move either the interlocking lever I or I' to a position correspondin g to the position of the lever I in Fig. 4, and then separate the draw-heads by running either the one of two cars backward or forward.

By having hinging ends of the draw-heads formed with spaces m2 between their hanging lugs or ears m an ordinary link may be used. between the draw-heads for coupling the cars, as occasion may require. When a link is used IOO IIO

the pivots or pins o are raised suciently to admit the link between the lugs or ears m into the spaces m2, and then lowered through the link and ears, upon which it rests. Thus the pivots or pins h subserve two purposes-the one of fastening the levers and the other of holding a link-coupling.

Previous to my invention bifmcated drawheads constructed so as to have; one of the jaws on one head enter between two of the `jaws on another head were well known; also, such draw-heads had been provided with coupling-tumblers, which were arranged to turn on pivots, for the purpose of insuring a frictional bind of one tumbler upon another while the cars are pulling against one another; but my invention obviates the necessity ofv depending alone upon the frictional contact of the coupling devices to insure the retention of the cars in a coupled condition, it providing positive interlocking or hooking shoulders in rear of the pivots of the coupling devices as a means for positively coupling` the cars also, leverex tensions on the coupling devices, whereby the cars can he readily uncoupled. It also aftbrds very strong and long interlocking` shoulders, and admits of au ordinary link being used in cases of necessity.

I do not wish to be understood as :setting up a claim for anything shown in Reissue Letters Patent No. 9,727; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The levers I l', provided with fiat or lateral hooking or interlocking shoulders n, between their front and rear extensions, and with pivot-pin holes in their front extensions, in combination with the draw-headsH H', formed as described, and with the pivotpins h h, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. Thelevers I I', provided respectively with a lat or laterally-extended shoulder, a, and a bevel, a', and with two arms at their front and two at their rear ends, and with pivot-pin holes in their front ends, and both levers united by a body of metal, which forms also a shoulder from top to bottom of the respective drawheads, in combination with the draw heads formed respectively, as described, with a bifurcated end and with a depression, l, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The levers I I', provided respectively with a dat or .lateral shoulder, n, and upper 'and lower rear and front extensions, in combination with the bifurcated draw-heads H H', rods F, springs F', hand-levers E, and locking-bars C', substantially as and for the purpose described.

4.- The combination of the bifureated drawheads H H', levers I I', provided with flat or lateral shoulders a, and the spring draw-bars D D', connected to the draw-heads by vertical hin gepivots t', substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The hinging-ears m of the draw-heads H H', having a space, m2, between them, and rounded at their corners p, in combination with the hinging ears or ends of the levers I I', and with the vertically-sliding or removable pivotpins h, substantially as and for the purpose described. Y

6. The bifurcated draw-heads H H', provided with interlocking levers which have iiat or lateral interlocking shouldersn, and are pivoted as described, and are arranged and constructed to pull squarely against the respective flat shoulders n of one another on a line diagonal to a central line of draft of the cars, and thereby relieve the springs of the levers I l' from strain while at the same time the draw-heads maintain their coupled position, substantially as described.

CLINTON BROWNING.

Witnesses:

G. W. RANKIN, CLARENCE BURLEIGH. 

